Gold-separator.



D. HOOGBNDORN. GOLD SBPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 191s.

1,129,678 'Patented Feb. 23, 1915,

WIT/10515555 l QW dizn iwi un srarns rar i f FFIE.

GOLD-SEPARATOR.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Dim: HooGENDoRN, a subject of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and. a resident of Deering, Territory of Alaska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gold-separators, whereof the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gold separators or devices for separating the precious metals from sand, gravel, pulverized rock and similar waste materials.

In the separation of gold from the gangue, gravel, and'other materials in which it ocy curs,.there are losses, owing to the fine gold remaining in suspension, and failingA to reach the mercury, in the riiiles, so that 1t passes out with the tailings.

It is the object of my invention to prevent such losses.

To this end the invention relates to app mercury, one or more times, whereby such of the heavy metalsns do not amalgamate readily, such as platinum, are saved by being buried .in the body of mercury, and other metals, as gold, which do amalgamate readily, are mercury and seized thereby and combined therewith.

In carrying out the invention, a series of pockets, each adapted to contain more or less mercury, and with baiile plates extending from above into the pockets so that the material is directed more or less violently against the mercury therein, thus keeping the latter in a state of agitation and insuring a contact ofthe precious contents therewith. These pockets I arrange in series in any desired number andvmake of any desired size, according to the nature of the material to be treated. The pockets are contained in and form a part of a trough or sort of sluice-box, which is divided longitudinally into narrow channels, so that any tilting of the apparatus, such as might be dueto the rolling-ef a boat or dredge containing it, will not throw the mercury to the sides to an objectionable extent, which might interfere with its action on the material. In each pocket above the level of the mercury therein, I arrange a grating, of wire cloth or other suitable material, to prevent the mercury beingvcarried over from one ai ,ratus in which the material to be treated 1s directed downward against a body of brought into contact with .the

I provide Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 23, 1915, Y Application led July 17, `1913. Serial No. 779,462.

pocket to another by the stream of material under treatment. Below the .-series of pockets, and communicating with them by branches and valves, I arrange a drainage system, to drain olf the' surplus mercury at or before a clean-up, which greatly facilitates the handling of the residual amalgam. The separator, such as above described, may be used directly with the material to be treated, or it may be used to handle tailings coming direct from lumes, sluiceboxes, or other devices. In the latter case may use a jet, or an added volume of water. to flush the material through the device, and to drive it againstthe mercury.

Details of the apparatus will best be understood from the subjoined description of an embodiment of it as illustrated in the accompanying six figures made on one sheet of drawings, two of which being on a reduced scale and the remaining figures enlarged to better show the novel features thereof:

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing the separator, in con` 2 is a partial plan or top View o f the appa- ,p ratus without the sluice-box and water-pipe.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section taken through Fig. 1 on the line 3, 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a single ocket, to show the drainage system connection. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail to show the method -of adjustment of the baffle plates, and Fig. -6 is a sectional view through an adjusting bolt taken at line a, a, in Fig. 3.

.In these figures: 1 is an ordinary sluicebox provided with riilies 2, over which passes the stream of material 3. At the tailing end of the sl1lice-h)ox,which is the end shown in Fig. 1', I- connect my separator. This separator may be made of any suitable material. I have found cast-iron to be satisfactory for this purpose.

The separator consists of a series of .Y

pockets 4, clined center at the bottom thereof and which are somewhat flaring toward the top, and are spaced by flow surfaces 5. Thus, the material moving over these longitudinal flow surfaces is thrown against the baffle `plates 6, as shown in Fig. 1, which extend provided with a longitudinal in-v downward into the pockets, and is by them deflected toward the bottom of the pockets.

The material is moved through the device from the end of the sluice-box by the stream of water issuing from the pipe 7.

It will be observed that the baiiie plates form an angle with the direction of the moving stream of material so that the latter strikes them in a manner to be turned downward into the pockets. The pockets and the baffle plates are held in relative position by the sides 8 of the device, which also' serve to close in the sides of the pockets. In the bottom of each pocket there may be placed a quantity of mercury 9, shown exclusively in Fig. 1, or, when used at the end of a slulcebox, if desired, the mercury coming over from the sluice-box, if suiiicient in quantity, may bedepended on for that purpose.

For convenience of manufacture, I make the sides of the device in two sections, the section 8 cast integral with the pockets and reaching toaboutthe top thereof, and the section 10 rising above the pockets and bolted or riveted to section 8, as seen at 11,

Fig. 3.

Each baffle plate is provided with a liange 12 at each side of it, by which it is bolted to the sides 10 of the apparatus by bolts 1 3. The bolt-holes, it will be observed, are 1n the form of slots 14, extending verticallyr in the flanges, and slots 15 extending longitudinally in the sides 10, whereby the baie plates are rendered independent of each other and separately adjustable, all of which are particularly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The apparatus is .divided longitudinally by partitions 16 into a series of parallel narrow channels shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This feature is especially valuable when the apparatus is mounted on a dredge or boat, as the rolling of the latter would tend to throw the mercury from side to side and prevent the stream of material from reaching it properly. The baiile plates may be slotted, as at 17 to straddle the partitions 16, or vice-versa. e

To prevent the rush of the stream of material 3 from throwing the mercury over from one pocket to another, I arrange gratings or screens 18, of wire cloth, or other construction, in each pocket. These may be snapped under ribs or lugs 19, to hold them down, and the narrowing of the pocket, to- 55 gether with the mercury will hold them up.

When it is desired to make a clean-up it is desirable to drain off the surplus mercury and leave the amalgam comparatively dry. 'Io this end I provide a drainage sys- 60 tem for the pockets. 20 is a pipe extending under the series of pockets and terminating in a spout 21, where it discharges into a receptacle 22, shown in Fig. 1. At each pocket there is a branch and valve 23 con- 65 necting to the bottom of the pocket at the longitudinally inclined center. These valves are closed during the operation of the apparatus, but when the operation is stopped for a clean-up they are opened and the sur plus mercurydrains off. At the bottom of each partition 16, in each pocket, is a small orifice 24, to permit the mercury to drain into the central channel. These orices may be plugged during the operation of the separator, and opened for the clean-up.

25 are the beams of a frame which supports the apparatus.

The stream'of material 3 coming out of the sluice-box1 is given an added impetus 80 by the stream of water 26 shown in Fig. 1, driven through the pocket attachment over the flow surfaces, and against each baie plate in turn, and by the latter directed downward against the mercury in the pocket where it parts with the gold; Athe intention being that by the time it has passed through the entire series of pockets it will have given up practically all of its gold. At the end of the separator the stream of material 3 is discharged, and therefrom may be carried to any convenient place.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, and believing I have produced useful and novel improvements in the art to which it apper- -tains, let it be understood that I do not `wish to be limited to the exact construc- .tion and arrangement of the several parts composing the same, as many changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof, but l What I claim and -desire to secure by United States Letters-Patent is:

1. A gold separator comprising a mercury pocket having a centrally inclined bottom provided with a drainage pipe, a screen dividing the space in said pocket into upper4 and lower portions, transverse partitions dividing said pocket, said partitions extending above and below said screens and being cut away at the bottom to permit communication between the chambers and the inclined center and drainage pipe connected to said inclined center for drawing off the mercury therefrom.

2. In combination a mercury pocket, a screen dividing the space in said pocket into upper and lower portions, and transverse partitions dividing said pocket, said partitions extending above and below said screens and being cut away at the bottom to permit communication between the chambers formed in the pocket.

3. In combination, a mercury pocket, a screen dividing the space in said pocket into upper and lower portions, transverse partitions dividing said pocket, said partitions extending above and below said y screens and being cut away at the bottom to permit communication between the cham- 130 bers formed in the pocket, and a vertical adjustable longitudinal partit in said pocket between said li In combination,

5 screen dividing the space in sa upper and lower portions, tra

ion extending rst partitions.

a mercury pocket, a

id pocket into nsverse partitions dividing said pocket, said partitions extending above and below being cut away at the bottom said screens and to permit com- 10 =munication between the chambers formed in the pocket, and a vertically a dj ustable lonslotted to permit its gitudinal partition below the top of the lower Vedge to pass transverse partitions.

In testimony that I of witnesses, this 11th day of July, 1913.

DIRK HOOGENDORN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH ROSENTHAL, R. MAUnE WOLFE. 

